1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instrument housing case, which allows an instrument such as a violin or a cello to be readily taken in and out of the instrument housing case even in a limited space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various instruments are carried while being housed in a predetermined case. Among the instruments, stringed instruments, such as a violin and a cello, which are long in one direction, are generally housed in the following case.
That is, there has been widely used a case, which includes: a main body case having a longitudinal box shape, which extends along a longitudinal direction of the instrument; and a cover body, which is fixed to one side along a longitudinal direction of the case through hinges so as to be opened and closed. Further, by opening the cover body in a lateral direction with respect to the main body case, the main body case is opened so as to allow the instrument to be taken in and out of the case.
As the laterally-openable case described above, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-61802 to be described below discloses a stringed instrument case including: a main body case (case body) that is formed in a rectangular box-like shape whose upper portion is opened; a cover body; a body fixing member for fixing a body of the stringed instrument therein; and a neck fixing member for fixing a neck of the stringed instrument therein. Further, in a fitting line between the main body case and the cover body, there are provided fasteners (locks) for holding the cover body in a closed state with respect to the main body case. Further, after the fasteners are unlocked, the cover body is laterally opened with respect to the main body case, and then the instrument is taken in and out of the case.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-61802, the instrument housing case allowing the instrument to be taken in and out of the instrument housing case is generally provided with the fasteners for holding the cover body in a closed state with respect to the main body case. However, there is risk in that, in a case where the instrument housing case is lifted up in a state in which the fasteners are left unlocked, or in a case where the fasteners are forced to be unlocked during conveyance, the cover body is widely and laterally opened with respect to the main body case with a result in which the instrument falls out of the main body case.
In addition, the above-mentioned instrument housing case has a structure in which the cover body is widely and laterally opened with respect to the main body case and is closed with respect to the main body case in such a manner that a limb portion of the cover body comes into contact with a limb of an opening portion of the main body case. However, it is relatively difficult for peripheral wall portions of the main body case and the cover body, which are opened and closed and come into contact with each other, to ensure their stiffness, and hence those portions need often to be increased in wall thickness. That leads to an increase in weight of the instrument housing case.